Button.



M. LIGHTER.

. BUTTON.

APPLICATION FILED IUL Y5, 19l'3. RENEWED MAY 15. 1915.-

1,178,738. Patented Apr. 11,1916.

.. U UNITED STA FF E-sf MA IN LIGHTER, or NEW YbEK NJY,

Bu'r'roiv;

Application filed July 5, 1913, Seria1No. 777,522. RenewedMayH, 1915. Serial No. 28,477.

Teal; whom, it may concern: I

Be it known that I, MALVI'N LIGHTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ,of New York, in the county of New :York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buttons, of which the following is a specification. I i a This invention relates to buttons and particularly to that class known. as detachable such-as are used mainly for displaypurpose. The object. sought to be obtainedis' the provision of'a'butt'on of this character made entirely of paper, hence of low constructive cost, but which will perform every function of a metallic button in displaying pictures, insignia, inscriptions and the like, and which may be readily applied or removed. This and other objects are accomplishedby the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and shown inthe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a button, made in accordance with the invention in its normal form ready for application. Fig. 2

I is a vertical section of the same indicating its application. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of button looking from the bottom, the shank being in an expanded position, and, Fig. 1 is a similar view of the same the shank or engaging means partially expanded. 1

' The invention in its preferred form is comprised ofthree separate elements, each made of strong stiff paper or card board, the outer element or face 10 being of any preferred contour, as round, oval or polygonal, and of a size to present a desirable area which may be embossed, stamped or printed with any design compatible with its purpose. A similar plate element 12 of like material and contour used as a backing, is secured to the back of the first element by suitable adhesives in such manner as to have the edges of both in register; these edges may obviously be crimped or covered with a band if preferred, for the purpose of greater security or finish but such treatment is not regarded as essential. The third or shank.

member is also of paper or cardboard in the form of a relatively narrow strip creased from side to side at the middle of its length 15, so as to bend or fold readily, other bending creases 16 being formed laterally across at uniform distances from the center, the

same providing arms 17 adapted to hold the.

button in position when adjusted; the strip is still further creased at 18, the portions 19 between the creases16and l8 forming engaging members adjoining which is a dou bled shank 20 adapted to'extend through the opening in the supporting ar-ticle whilethe end portions 21, are passed through a 'narrow slot 14 formed through the backing plate 12 and turned outwardlyatthe creases Specification of Letters ram. P t fit 11,19'1 I These ends are preferably curved and i when; combined present substantially a circular disk thatv is secured between the backa e '12 and 'face 1O byfthe mentioned a esive. V In operation, the strip being folded on the central crease15, so. that it is doubled closely upon itself and extended perpendicular to the face, of the button, forming a shank which is-passed through a button hole, as in the lapel. of a coat, until the backing plate contacts with the surface of the' garment; the shank is then separated and expanded by folding the arms 17 and 19 outwardly on the creases 16 which action straightens out the crease 15 and folds the creases 16 acutely so that the arms 17, taken together present a straight face or prefer-,

ably one with a slight concavity. This arrangement renders it impossible to disengage the button except by rupturing the parts by force applied at the head of the button, although disengagement may easily be effected by pressure applied to the pro-..

jecting arms at the fold 16, causing them to i collapse as bydrawing the members 17 outwardly from the crease 15 or by turning the doubledflarms 17 and 19 straight out and parallel, the same pivoting on the creases 18, and render it easy to withdrawthe button shank. I

The modification shown inFigs. 3 and 1 illustrate the invention in its simplest form, only two component parts beingemployed; the face 10 and a shank formed in every respect as before described; in this form the backing plate 12is dispensed with and the shank ends 21 are secured direct to the rear of the face or display element by any suitable means.

It is to be noted that the inherent resiliency of the paper fabric will retain the button in an adjusted position indefinitely and furthermore that in normal condition the center part 15 cannot spring to free the button, as it would have to force the lapel away from its ordinary position, which is usually closely adjacent to another portion of the garment; also that the button can be removed and inserted repeatedly without injury to the component parts and without defacing a garment as by pins and like common securmg means.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A detachable button comprising a paper face and a paper shank, said shank being doubled and secured at its free ends to the rear of said face and provided with bending creases whereby it may be folded closely upon itself for insertion or removal and expanded by compression for maintenance when in position.

2. A detachable button comprising a display disk and a doubled paper strip having its free end secured to the rear of said disk, said doubled strip being adapted to pass through a button hole and the portion projecting therethrough be expanded.

3. As anew article of manufacture, a button of the class described formed wholly of paper and comprising a face plate, a backing plate and a doubled integral shank comindependent single disks of card-board, one

being superimposed upon the other, the lower of said disks containing an elongated aperture, and a card-board shank formed of a single strip doubled upon itself and having its free ends entered through the mentioned slot and secured between the said disks, the extending portion of said strip being so creased as to either fold fiat perpendicular to said disk or be extended laterally and parallel to said disks.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- MALVIN LIGHTER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE SOHAEFER, WARREN E. WILLIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

